James Corden thought Meryl Streep would 'die'

James Corden thought Meryl Streep was going to "die" when they filmed 'Into the Woods' but she was saved from a nasty fall by their co-star Emily Blunt

James Corden thought Meryl Streep was going to "die" when they filmed 'Into the Woods'.

The 36-year-old actor admits he couldn't help but worry about his own future when his veteran co-star caught her shoe on her dress as she jumped on a table during a rehearsal.

He recalled: "[She] starts to fall back, head first. Time slowed down and I thought, 'I'm about to watch Meryl Streep die. It's happening.'

"I wish I could say I didn't consider my own career in this and think, 'This film's gonna go down the ****.'"

While James and director Rob Marshall "froze", Emily Blunt - who was pregnant with her daughter Hazel, now 10 months - leapt in to save her co-star.

James added: "Rob Marshall freezes . . . The person who stepped in to save her life that day was not the two men in the room, but the pregnant woman leaps forward, catches Meryl Streep, and Rob and I were just like [gasp]."

The British star also admitted he was initially in awe of being around the 65-year-old acting legend.

Speaking during a special screening of the movie for Yahoo! Movies, he said: "All of a sudden, you're in a room talking to Meryl Streep, like this is just something that you do."

Disney's long-in-the-making adaptation of Sondheim and Lapine's musical, in which a clutch of fairytale characters help a baker (Corden) and his wife (Blunt) lift a curse which prevents them from having a baby. Despite some great moments, the story drags; if you're a fan it's likely to please, but it won't win anyone else…